Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-04
TRAVELLING Statesmen.
The Men Who are the Most Successful on
the Road.

au.
rs the ability to sell goods on the
road an acquired art or is it a natural
gift?" is a question which is often
asked. One man says: Il believe
travelling statesmen are born. not
made. If man be a thoroughbred
salesman he can sell anything, no mat
ter whether he be familiar with the
goods or not. Here is a case in point:
[ have in mind a travelling man who
ranks among the most successful in
this city. | have personal knowledge
of three different lines of goods he
has handled with equal success. When
| first knew him he was on the road
for boot and shoe firm. He had no
particular training tor the position,
but he stepped right out on the road
with his prices and samples. Not
outstanding his ignorance of the
goods he sold and his lack of acquaint-
ance with the details of the business
his success was remarkable and the
orders he sent home were astonishing.
After q few years in this line of bus
mess at the handsome salary his abili-
ty readily commanded be made a sud-
den break and started on the road
representing large furniture manu-
facturer. Before the end of his first
trip his success became evident, and
more than one carload bill was sold.
Remarkable as were these two VEN
lures, they were not more so than his
latest move. After few years in the
furniture business he made another
sudden change and invested his capt.
tai in an importing drug-house of this
city, in which he still retains his inter-
est. From its complicated nature
this branch of business presented even
more difficulties than either of the
other lines which he had represented,
but away he went on the road, and in
came his orders. To-day there is not,
| believe, more successful salesman
on the road in that line, and he has
trade which he holds firmly. How he
sells his goods and secures such a
trade am utterly at loss to explain,
nor will he offer an explanation him
self Nevertheless he sells the goods.
| have seen him in his own Office try to
sell goods to some small chance Gus
toner and make complete failure
with both goods and prices by his
side. Then again | have known him
to run over to New York without a
sample or price of any kind and come
back with a pocket-full of orders at
more than ruling prices. That man
aas a secret that is worth thousands of
dollars to him, although to another
man it might perhaps be worth
less"
A dry goods merchant said: ''You
cannot tell from a mans appearance
whether or not he will make a good
salesman. Some of the most unprOm-
Using men we have employed have
turned out to be the best of travelling
men. For instance, some years ago,
we engaged a man who had previously
found employment as a hog-butcher.
He was most uncOuth and unattract-
i've character, with little education and
apparently small business capacity.
We put him on the road very doubt
fully, and to our great astonishment
he made an excellent salesman. He
worked up crossroads trade princi-
pally, and sent in some HOusing big
orders. He was in our employ for
many years and did a splendid bust
ness. 1t SO happened that he was just
suited for the trade he took, and he
handled it well, where another man
might have made a dismal failure. |
find that frequently some of the best
statesmen are men of small ability in
other directions. OF course, this is not
general, as the great majority Of tray
cling men can turn their hands to al
most any kind of work, but it does
show that the ability to sell goods on
the road is q natural gift rather than
an requirement"
In the miscOnstruction which seems
to have been put upon the interstate
commerce act by a large number of
the railroad companies there has been
much loss to travelling men. Upward
of forty lines had granted weekend"
tickets, allowing travellers TO return
home on Saturday nights for half
fare, and large number of trans
portation companies granted the priv
ilege of carrying baggage in excess of
the amount allowed to general passen-
gers. The curtailment of these priv
ileges, with the withdrawal of mileage
books upon the plea of violation Of
the interstate law, has materially in
creased the cost OF traveling.-Pbst-
GdeLphi0 Record.
80